How One IPL Decision Ended Up Reshaping the T20 World Cup?
The T20 World Cup has almost started but the tensions surrounding it have still not ended. With India being the hosts of the tournament, the tensions have increased for Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The T20 World Cup has almost started but the tensions surrounding it have still not ended. With India being the hosts of the tournament, the tensions have increased for Pakistan and Bangladesh. One team has already been ruled out of the tournament, while other plans to boycott the match against India.
Ever heard of the Butterfly effect? Well, now it can also be seen in the game of cricket. A few months back, Mustafizur Rahman was removed by the Kolkata Knight Riders from their team ahead of IPL 2026. This was due to the geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh which are still persisting.
And fast forward to the next few weeks, Bangladesh is out of the T20 World Cup. Along with that, Pakistan has also confirmed to boycott their match against India. This has led to some serious tensions between the Asian teams, as the biggest T20 tournament of them all comes closer. Let's take a look at the series of events which unfolded.
1. Mustafizur Rahman Released by KKR
In the IPL 2026 auction, several Bangladeshi players participated. But only one of them was able to find a team, and it was Mustafizur Rahman. He was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping total of 9.20 crore rupees. Following this, the tensions between India and Bangladesh grew to a great extent.
The BCCI ordered Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Rahman from their squad. These orders were given taking a look at the geopolitical tensions between both countries. And KKR also responded promptly to the situation, as they removed Rahman from the squad.
At this moment, Rahman did not receive even a single penny despite being a part of the team. Instead, KKR is still having the 9.20 crore rupees, which can be used by the team to get another player right before the season. This move triggered Rahman and the entire Bangladesh Cricket Board.
2. Bangladesh Replaced by Scotland
Bangladesh wrote to the ICC, requesting that their venue for the T20 World Cup shall be shifted from India to Sri Lanka. The team cited security concerns for the same and had active meetings with the ICC. Unfortunately, none of the meetings came in the favour of Bangladesh.
The ICC didn't find any security threat to the team, its media persons, or even fans in India. Due to this reason, their request to shift matches to Sri Lanka got repeatedly rejected. Even the ICC remained firm to ensure that Bangladesh will get full security in India, but Bangladesh remained on their demands.
The team said that they won't be playing the T20 World Cup if the matches are scheduled in India. The ICC gave an ultimatum to them, saying that they would either have to accept their matches in India or they would be ruled out of the tournament. Bangladesh was given the time of 24 hours to respond to the same.
Ultimately, the team decided not to participate in the T20 World Cup. In their place, Scotland, the next best team, has now been added to the T20 World Cup. A team which had participated in all 9 editions of the tournament will now be going on to miss the 2026 edition for the very first time.
3. Pakistan Confirms Boycott
Since the clash between India and Bangladesh began, Pakistan was on Bangladesh's side. India and Pakistan had also shared tensions on the field which were visible in the T20 Asia Cup. Both teams went against each other three times, but neither team shook hands with one other.
It all started with Indian players going back to the pavilion after finishing the game. To pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam attack, they decided to not shake hands with any of the Pakistani players. This even continued in the remaining two games which were played by these two teams, including the finals.
In the final match, India was able to come out on top. The team didn't receive their trophy, as they were unwilling to collect it from the ACC Chief, Mohsin Naqvi. These tensions between India and Pakistan have been cooking up for a long time, and they were set to face each other on 15 February for the T20 World Cup group stage.
Pakistan were unsure of their participation in the tournament, as they were together with Bangladesh. But the team recently announced that they will be playing the remaining games in the tournament. Also, the Government of Pakistan has recommended the players to not take the field on 15 February, in the match against India.
The ICC has also raised a stern warning towards the Pakistani team for this. They have clearly said that selective participation is not applicable in the T20 World Cup. ICC and Pakistan are expected to have a meeting soon regarding this matter to solve the issue.
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